International Media Watch of news headlines and current affairs reports about Romania

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Reuters: Romania Parliament delays gold mine report to Nov 10

BUCHAREST – Romania's parliament postponed a special commission's report on a controversial bill that would allow Canada's Gabriel Resources to set up Europe's biggest opencast gold mine until November 10, an official was quoted saying on Tuesday.

Gabriel Resources has been waiting 14 years for approval to use cyanide to mine 314 t of gold and 1 500 t of silver in the town of Rosia Montana. The state also holds a minority stake in the mine.

The government of Prime Minister Victor Ponta this year proposed a bill to speed up the project by setting strict deadlines for the approval process.

The bill, which triggered countrywide protests against the mine, prompted parliament to set up a commission to assess the bill. It was supposed to file its report this week.

"We approved a deadline extension until November 10 at the request of the commission's president," lower house speaker Valeriu Zgonea was quoted as saying by state news agency Agerpres.